The bubbles are here and there, and generally non-consequential, the body an understated medium weight, and not all that smooth, given the strange swirling indistinct and zingy new-world spiciness.

Wow, what a mind-fuck of a beer. Here I'm expecting a mellow, slightly hoppy pale ale, but instead I get a weirdly spicy affair - askew without the heat or alcohol, if you can imagine. Not really what I wanted right now, I guess.

750ml corked & caged bottle purchased from Adelaide Bier Shop and split 3 ways, with my share poured into a 7oz glass. Have been sitting on this for some time - would not be surprised if it was a year or year and a half - so hop fade was a pre-opening concern.

Pours an orange copper colour with a beige head of tiny-bubbled foam that has a touch of light yellow about it. Plenty of foam present and it stays around for quite a while.

Initial aroma is of citrus and a touch floral. After opening the smell is pretty hard to come by.

Taste is quite herbal on the mid to late palate with a herbal bitter kicker at the end. Upfront there is some burnt caramel flavour. Some malty sweetness also comes in as it warms.

Mouthfeel is quite big compared to style and from what i expected. Some harsh bitterness finishes this one off.

Overall, i suspect that age was not its friend, not should it be. If that isn't the case it was a pretty average APA.

The beer color is copper, somewhat dark but very clear. The head is soapy like and sticks well to the glass. The aroma presents some wood notes and some floral notes too. I get some earthy aroma too but not dominant. The taste is similar to the aroma however it appears more woody. I would say there is a lack of floral notes in the taste. Mouthfeel is medium body and this one is an easy drinker. Good craft ordinary beer.

Poured from a 750ml bottle. Lots of yummy cereal and spice notes on the nose. Yep, by "Americaine" they mean hopped-up. The billowing white head is enormous and the beer is clear orangey-copper. All the hops promised in the nose is delivered in the mouth--tons of citrus rind and exotic spice. Still pretty well balanced. An excellent pale ale that almost drinks like a low ABV IPA.

From a caged and corked 750 ml brown bottle. Pours out a gorgeous clear amber hue, chunky fluffy off-white head with thick swathes of lacing.

Light toasted, caramel malt on the nose, with a good dose of leafy green and earthy hops.

I think the last time I experienced such a well-balanced ale, particularly of this style (or at least pale ales in general) is Fuller's London Pride. This somehow goes a step beyond. Mild caramel, toasted and crystal malt blended smoothly and skillfully with mild earthy, woody, slightly herbal hops. Sweetness of the malt pops up again in the aftertaste to meld once again with spicy, earthy hops, like ballroom dancing that goes on forever.

Mouthfeel also remains on par, smooth, on the full side for the style, good dose of carbonation on the finish, clean and dry.

Leave it to a Quebec brewery to set a precedent on this style. Perhaps a bit more akin to an English Pale Ale, they took those American hops and put them to excellent use. Thus far THE most enjoyable and balanced pale ale I've tried. This one most certainly gets a hell yeah!

750ml corked and caged, courtesy of viggo - love trying this signature series but sure wish ones like this had a bottling date on them.

Pours a dark orange caramel, almost amber color with a couple fingers of head that leave sticky chunks of lace on the glass.

This beer has a unique malt profile that I find somewhat similar to their Oktoberfest - husky toasted grains, hints of dark fruits, slightly mineral astingency but still tasty. A grassy, subdued citric hop profile which leaves a sharp bitterness. Hints of smoke, coffee and a slight mustiness in the nose.

Not your typical APA, quite a hefty malt base makes this feel like an amber or even slightly lager-ish like a hopped up alt or oktoberfest. The hop profile is not overly exciting nor complex, but provides a pleasant bitterness. Certainly not their best offering but still worth trying.

Appearance - The beer pours a clear copper colour with a large frothy beige head. There is a low to average amount of carbonation showing and there is some very nice lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for over 5 minutes before it finally started to go away.

Smell - hops, caramel, biscuits, herbal/floral notes

Taste & Mouth - The beer has a nearly perfect mouth feel, just the right amount of carbonation that leaves the beer feeling creamy and light. The most noticeable flavours are hops, caramel, and pale malts. There are also notes of biscuit, and some pine. The beer finishes with a malt and hop bitter aftertaste.

Drink - A fairly good brew that I'm happy I tried. The type of hop flavour in this beer is not my favourite, but it's still enjoyable. This beer is worth seeking out.

750 ml bottle courtesy of HogtownHarry- Pours deep orange, slightly hazed with a generous white foamy cap. The nose is simple, but enjoyable. Fresh floral hops and bready malts with apple and cookie dough. The taste is decidedly fresh green hops, nice caramel and bready malts balance the floral bitterness. Finishes bitter, with a long lived lingering aftertaste of hops and bread crust. Simple, but well made and enjoyable. Thanks for this one Harry!

750ml corked and caged bottle picked up on a recent trip to montreal. sampled june 11/2010.

pours crystal clear deep orange, nearly red at the widest part of the glass and a nice dark amber toward the edges. a huge fluffy cream coloured head forms, dropping very slowly and leaving a bunch of chunky lace behind as it falls.

aroma is nice. multi-grain bread, biscuit, and cracker. light alcohol. pine and light candied citrus. bit of caramel and honey. i think i detect a bit of lagery twang hiding in the background too.

taste is nice. right around medium bitterness level. lightly toasted whole wheat bread. biscuit. bit of cracker. piney and herbal. caramel and a bit of buttery toffee. light alcohol. definitely a bit of that lager character i caught in the aroma, but more subdued.

mouthfeel is good. just under medium body. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. pretty well balanced. i'd have liked a more prominent hoppy character from an APA, but liked it otherwise. i think i'll keep my eye out for another on the chance that this one has been sitting on the shelf a little too long.

Its a very nice looking beer, a dark copper hue with a creamy head. It definitely looks like it will be tasty.

The smell really dashed my hopes, however, as it has a distinct metallic, earthy nature. I think the fact that its slightly sweet (and oddly sour) means I must be smelling the malt. No hops smell at all. Which is disappointing considering this is supposed to be an American Pale Ale.

The taste follows suit, but isn't quite as disappointing as the smell. It almost tastes like drinking liquid bread. The malty character is strongly opposed by the bitter hop flavour. I definitely wasn't expecting the bitterness since the hops are absent from the nose.

Thankfully the beer feels quite good while drinking it. The carbonation level is just right, and it has a nice balance of oily and dry finish. I dunno. Maybe I'll try it again, but only if someone else is buying.